Liberals
In American politics, political thoughts and actions are often grouped into categories. The liberal category is one that focuses on individual liberties that are unconventional in to old conservative thought. American politics is historically conservative in thought and practice. Meaning, that the practices of the average American citizen have followed tradition concerning; marriage, abortion, immigration, gun control, the first amendment, education, health care, etc… Liberals do not have one set way of thinking. The way they view important issues changes according to the time period the world is in. A liberal can also be affected by prominent current issues in a government. In America liberals are usually the most controversial of all political groups. They push the envelope from conservative thinking the most, and fight to change the laws of the nation.
Certain states are more liberal than others in a American. Historically the east coast states like Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, and west coast states like California, and Nevada have been very liberal. In Many of these states, individual constitutions incorporate new liberal ideas into the system. Massachusetts for example has passed gay marriage, a move that caused very controversial debates is Washington. Liberals in Massachusetts pushed for this change and now can marry within the same sex. Many conservatives feel that this undermines the original intentions of America’s forefathers. Liberals believe the exact opposite. Instead of assuming that the forefathers of America intended for the constitution to be interpreted one certain way, liberal Americans push for the same ideas to be interpreted differently. California is a liberal state that has made the use of marijuana legal for medical purposes. Many conservative politicians believe that this promotes illegal drug trafficking, marketing it easier for people to find drugs on streets. This change in the legal system has left the avenue open for other states to do the same. Hence changing the scope of America as a whole.
Most liberals are members of the democratic party in America. This is so because the democratic party pushes for more liberal ideas. In the post war period, liberals supported government intervention, and welfare. After the cold war liberal thought became more supportive of economic issues and moved closer to socialism. Now, liberals mostly support affirmative action, gay marriage, and a women’s right to choose. Because of liberal ideas, the United States now has an African American president who was elected by the majority. This country also has moved toward a health care plan that’s geared toward coverage for all citizens. People are creatures of habit, and accept things based on a majority. These changes are proof that liberals make an impact in the way people across the country think, and how government will operate for them.
Liberals have been consistent in changing the scope of the country as a whole. In a democratic society like America, where the citizens have the power to change constitutions in every state individually, change is inevitable. A liberal citizen moves with the times, and helps move a country toward growth.
